Food Trucks & Fellowship: Mobile Meal Alliance Program Continues Supporting Families in Need

January 8, 2021 - by Brooke Wilson

Food Trucks & Fellowship:
Mobile Meal Alliance Program Continues Supporting Families in Need

Starting tonight, the Bellevue Boys & Girls Club will host their first Mobile Meal Alliance food truck from 4-7 p.m., continuing every other Friday through February. 125 meal vouchers will be distributed to families in need of food support. Food trucks are open to everyone, including those without vouchers. A complete schedule of vendors, menus and orders can be found here.

On May 7, The Mobile Meal Alliance program began as a strategic partnership between Nourishing Networks, a local nonprofit with a chapter that serves the Bellevue School District, and the Washington State Food Truck Association. Their program’s goal was simple: to help mitigate food insecurity and financial uncertainty through meaningful efforts. Since its launch, the collaborative initiative has served over 12,000 food truck meals at multiple locations, including several Bellevue food banks, churches, and the Lake Hills Elementary School.

After months of committed service and combined resources, the Mobile Meal Alliance program is extending through the new year. Impacts from COVID-19 have raised challenges for a number of local families, and the demand for accessible, affordable and nutritious food has not wavered. The program is financed by funds donated to a church or other nonprofit entity which get converted into food truck meal vouchers and are given to individuals and families in need of food support. Food trucks are scheduled by the WA State Food Truck Association (WSFTA) to be hosted at churches, food banks or other residential area businesses. Current voucher locations include: The Bellevue YMCA and the Bellevue Boys & Girls Club.

“It’s not going to solve the problem of hunger in Bellevue, but it does provide dignity,” said Tammy Waddell, Nourishing Networks Bellevue Organizer in a previous interview. “When a truck comes into the neighborhood, people with vouchers line up alongside neighbors who are out for dinner. It’s making people feel normal in a not-so-normal time.”

Past trucks participating in this program include: MexiCuban, Ay Guey!, DelFino’s, The People’s Burger, Byte, Yummy Box, Cascadia Pizza, Crave by Suite J, Whateke, Yummy Catch, Paparepas, Athena’s, Zaytoona and BeanFish.

“Mobile food vending is well-suited for these challenging times, because customers don’t need to enter a building or confined space, the food is prepared in plain sight by a small crew (usually just one or two people), and customers can complete the transaction with very minimal interaction by simply placing vouchers into the jar on the service window shelf. Quick and easy,” reads one testimonial on the Mobile Meal Alliance website.

FUND A TRUCK, FEED A COMMUNITY

Donations received by Bellevue’s Nourishing Networks are disbursed equally to any church, school or other business interested in reserving a food truck to serve their community. Contact the WSFTA to register and become a host!

WHERE TO FIND FOOD TRUCKS:

Find all nearby food trucks on the Street Food Finder app. Weekly updates are also promoted on the Mobile Meal Alliance Facebook page.

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